Breathe
by DLN-000
Summary: He raised an arm, and you knew he was going to land the finishing blow. Then he took a step forward, and you have no idea what is happening anymore.


Set somewhere along the events of Rock Man 3.

It took me forever to think of a title haha wow...

(The ending bit is something I wrote before the actual fic, so I'm just including it there yeah.)

* * *

**Breathe**

Upon the floor of rubble, a battlefield had appeared without much warning to the rest of the world. Almost unseen, two parties had been locked in a well matched combat that had taken out the most of each participant. The ground had been littered with the bits of fallen stone and cracked earth, and the walls filled with the holes born of the explosive hits with which they had met each time one of them had missed their target, which had been more often than each would have liked. Regardless, they had both ran, jumped, ducked, aimed, and fired, at their enemy, at the one that stood before them, until they had been left with such energy, that they had to think twice as long about landing a shot as when they had begun.

In the midst of it, the one that is masked in red has become the one in weakness, as an inconsistency in his design dooms him to a lower level of stamina and ammunition that has dragged him down for a while now. He does not show it, and his blue opponent does not know it, but he feels a wave of uncertainty come over him, as he struggles more than ever to keep his balance, and his stature, as to not reveal the true doubt that has clouded his mind. Because this rival is strong, and he can see in his eyes that he isn't about to rest, or give up, unless this is settled.

But how exactly does he seek to have it settled?

Blues takes a chance and presses his metal body against the rough wall behind him, trying to channel all the energy that he has left in him into a single attack. He won't get anywhere aiming weak shots at him anymore, so he has no choice but to put his faith into this, and hope he can hit him before he gets hit himself.

It seems like the shorter robot has seen through to his plan, as he steps down to stand in plain and open view of Blues. If he were to release his buster now, he'd have no difficulty in aiming, but he could also be using it to taunt him into attacking, confident enough that he has the speed and precision to avoid it when it comes. It's a double risk he has to take now, and even as his system announces to him that it is ready, he hesitates to attack.

A weak, flashing glow of bright blue catches his eye and he realizes exactly what he is doing, as the light expands in a straight line downward until it's filled the most part of his right arm.

He is aiming for the same moment.

Unwilling to waste another second now, the first Robot Master raises his own cannon in a swift movement that leaves no room for mistakes. A cry erupts from the red-armored robot's mouth before two bright lights fill the entire area, his ounce of hope that his attack might manage to stop the other from unleashing his own disappearing as he feels the foreign energy accumulate around his body.

It's all over in a matter of heartbeats, and the scene is cleared once more, only dazzled by the dust and debris that exploded along with each of their super busters. Blues finds that overall he is more shaken than injured, and still holds himself straight as he looks out into the open to try and pinpoint the current state of his feisty opponent.

Both attacks seem to have more a less nullified each other, but that doesn't mean this battle is over –it goes on, until only one is left standing. Or at least that is how Blues has learned battles go.

He appears quickly from the clouds of dirt, a triumphant grin on his face that Blues manages to identify despite the distance. He looks like he's been the one most damaged by the recent clash, but Blues hasn't forgotten what he put into that shot.

Everything, he put everything into it. And for all he knows, that blue robot didn't, and, even if he's the one that's staggering now, he's still got something to hit with, and no doubt that he will, now that he _does _have the upper hand.

Blues considers attempting to flee for a moment, but that choice is almost instantly terminated, as he doesn't need to be reminded that he'd much rather lose this confrontation than run away because he knew he couldn't win. No, he isn't a coward, and neither will he go silently. He'll fight, with or without something a to serve as his weapon –and if he's to be scrapped at the end of it then he'll take that with dignity on his face too.

Still half cornered, it doesn't take Rock long to figure out that he's fighting someone that can't fight back anymore, and in his movements he can see that he's grown tired as well.

Each in a position quite similar to the one when they first fired, Rock knows he still has the energy to defeat this wayward robot, but he doesn't plan to do precisely that. Instead both arms fall to his side, as he stares at him with an unreadable expression.

Blues knows that this is probably it. He could still live, but the outcome of this battle has been decided, and there's no changing that. Unless someone from outside somehow found the way to suddenly interfere, there is no way he can win, and even then, it would not really be him winning.

So Rock lifts his right arm, and although his mega buster is gone, Blues is sure he's about to lend the finishing blow.

He raises his other arm, and now it's like he's trying to gesture to something that isn't precisely an attack. But, if it did mean anything like that, then DLN-000 couldn't quite understand it.

What power does he wish to unleash with both fist and buster aimed like that? He can only wonder as he meets his gaze with eyes hidden behind a pitch-black visor.

Then Rock takes a step forward, and Blues did what would have resembled a person holding their breath in a moment of tension or uncertainty; the boy takes another one, and Blues can feel genuine fear creep up on him, something he hasn't know for so long he almost forgot how much of a horrible experience it could be.

But then he doesn't shoot, and he doesn't attack. Light doesn't fill his arm, or explode from the end of his mega buster. Nothing but the warmth of daylight and the hard surface behind and below him touches him, and he isn't sure, what's going on anymore.

He closes his eyes, fully aware that this'll only make him more vulnerable but also that Rock thankfully won't be able to tell the difference. There's the even sound of a body moving, in his direction, in small, slow steps. There is no hurry in them, no rush. And when Blues opens his eyes again, he sees a smile so genuine, that he wonders for an instant if he is truly so glad to finally put an end to him.

The true meaning of it comes like a flood as he hears a nervous voice ring in his ears. It's a bit awkward, as if its owner weren't exactly sure what to say or how to put his thoughts into it. Blues realizes that it's the blue robot that's speaking, and his words quickly become clear, and he can understand them now.

"...I was sent out here to put in order the robots that had been rampaging in certain locations, and for that I have had to fight and hurt every one of them. But if I could do it without causing them any kind of harm, believe me I would."

And suddenly Blues is aware of the fact that they aren't hostile, or mean, or even slightly aggressive. No one is hurting him, or damaging him in any way –he's being held, by that pair of extended arms that he had thought were about to attack him.

The old Lightbot would have toppled right over in shock, but Rock held him steady and kept going.

"I'm not sure who you are exactly. You aren't in any of the databanks I have stored, nor have I heard much about you. But we've fought before, and I saw you that one time, when I had just reached the Space Glacier. I haven't forgotten."

Blues blinked with a gaping mouth, as he was sure that the hammering beat of his heart would kill him, and him still being alive meant that this was all just a dream. But he hadn't had an actual dream in a long, long time, and somehow this felt like too much to simply be a fragment of his imagination.

"I won't ask you to go anywhere with me, but hopefully we can make it out of this without hurting each other any more than we already have. You can do no harm as you are, so I'll let you go, to wherever it is that you came from. I get the feeling that you aren't really of bad intentions, anyway."

And the blue Robot Master lowered his arms, and stepped away, and looked at the red brother that he didn't know was his.

And Blues knew that although he had been defeated, he would face no penalty for it –unless this could be considered some of sort–, and it was time for him to make his escape, without feeling like he'd run away, because this had turned out as much more for him to still be thinking about that.

Rock smiled when he disappeared, not expecting a word from him in return. He did later on however, realize a bit regretfully, that he had never asked the curious robot for his name.

Oh well –he'd remember his face and perhaps that would be enough for them to meet again someday.

* * *

You raised one arm  
And you could have finished me off in the blink of an eye  
You raised another one  
And you could have begun a war between two races that walk arm in arm  
You took a step forward  
And I swear there is no one who could have opposed you

I closed my eyes  
Waiting to receive the final blow  
Awaiting the breaking point  
Of my terrified heartbeats

But I didn't break  
And I didn't burn  
I didn't crack  
Or hurt in any way  
In fact I felt  
No form of pain at all

You put your arms around me  
And I could have collapsed right onto the ground  
But you held me steady  
And didn't let go of me until  
I opened my eyes to see you  
Smiling

You had me pressed against your metallic warmth  
And there was still time for you to change your mind  
You let go of me putting your arms down  
And aimed no weapon of fire  
You backed away slowly  
And for some reason you had chosen to spare this unstable child

You let me go  
And you could have done whatever you wanted  
Because I knew in that moment  
No one could stop you  
But you would stop no one  
Unless you absolutely had to  
And for me that was enough  
To change a small part  
Of my troubled mind


End file.
